Directive 2006/44/EC lays down quality criteria applying to water-courses and lakes. Compliance with these criteria is essential in order to maintain or improve water quality and to safeguard fresh water fish species.

ACT

Council Directive 2006/44/EC of 6 September 2006 on the quality of fresh waters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life [See Amending Act(s)].

SUMMARY

The quality of fresh water is essential for aquatic life. In order to ensure that fish populations living in water-courses and lakes develop in a balanced way, the European Union (EU) lays down quality criteria applying to designated waters. Compliance with these criteria enables pollution to be reduced or eliminated, and various fresh water fish species to be maintained at balanced levels.

Waters

This Directive covers running or standing fresh waters which support or could become capable of supporting fish in sufficient numbers to maintain a natural balance and diversity.

The Directive does not cover waters in natural or artificial fish ponds used for intensive fish-farming.

Designation

Member States are required to designate the fresh waters which are to be considered suitable for fish-breeding. These are subdivided into two categories:

salmonid waters: waters which support or become capable of supporting fish belonging to species such as salmon, trout, grayling or whitefish;

cyprinid waters: waters which support or become capable of supporting fish belonging to the cyprinids or other species such as pike, perch and eel.

Member States may amend the list of designated waters as result of factors that are unknown at the date of designation.

National programmes

Member States shall establish 5-year programmes to reduce pollution or improve the quality of designated waters.